Author Gets Removed from
National Book Club Conference

by Taylor Nix
August 2008

When Relentless Aaron, the prominent and acclaimed author of more than 10 books, entered the NBCC (National Book Club Conference) in Atlanta, Georgia, he didn't know his presence would inspire chastising and a discourteous removal.

According to Relentless Aaron, on Friday, August 1, 2008 he caught a last minute glimpse of the literary studded event. "I thought it would be a great opportunity to do what I do just about everywhere else in the country, and that is to meet people and market some of my three dozen books," Aaron says. Familiar faces in attendance included: Terry McMillian, Omar Tyree, Richard Jeanty and Troy Johnson (AALBC.com)—who introduced Aaron to the coordinator of the event: Curtis Bunn.

In the dinning area of the lavish event is where he was introduced to Bunn, they shake hands and he says to Aaron, "Let me talk to you for a minute. I don't appreciate you coming in here without first speaking with me." Aaron feels like he's just been reprimanded and Bunn continues, "Well, it's alright. Make yourself at home. Enjoy."

Aaron stuck on stupid now by the flow of conversation, returns with, "Well, thanks. I'm not really eating, just playing fly-on-the-wall."

In the common area is where Aaron heads and proceeds to setup his laptop with a PowerPoint Presentation. "I figure this is the best place to be seen, to offer up books to new readers." The crowd starts to pour in and Aaron does what he's best at: mingling amongst the people. Other unnamed authors are spotted and they too seemed to have just "shown up" to benefit from the undertaking. Books are signed and before he knows it, with little to no effort, Aaron's already sold several books.

He proceeds to set up his camera to start interviewing authors and readers. "[It's] something that I do all the time as the programmer for some 50 Internet broadcast channels." Within roughly 2 hours, a woman approaches Aaron, and asks if he is a part of the book event. "I didn't quite know how to answer that, but I simply told her the truth, that I spoke with Curtis earlier and that he said it was okay to be here."

Here is where the story takes a twist.

Five minutes after Aaron's exchange with the woman, who identified her self as Curtis's fiancé, hotel security shows up and notifies Aaron that he has to pack up and leave the hotel room.

And it doesn't end there, "The next morning, I text Curtis," Aaron says.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RELENTLESS AARON: "Make yourself at home you said. Enjoy you told me. And then, when I do what you say, you call the cops."

CURTIS BUNN: "And my fiancé called the cops. But I'm not mad at her for doing so. You were wrong."

RELENTLESS AARON: "Cowards. Both of you."

CURTIS BUNN: "Kiss my a**."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We contacted Mr. Curtis Bunn for his side of the story and here is what he said:

"He [Relentless Aaron] was removed from the National Book Club Conference because he was not a part of the event. I spent 11 months planning the conference, and authors either contacted me about participating or received invitations from me about participation. Additionally, there were 26 authors who paid a fee as a vendor to be a part of the NBCC.

This guy shows up because he hears about the event and assumes it is okay for him to proceed as if he is a part of the occasion. He was not. Worse, I was told he was there not only pushing his work, but denigrating a fellow author who was an official part of the conference. Not cool, or professional.

Bottom line, we have to stop with this notion of trying to get over. This is a professional organization and it is run professionally, and so the proper protocol was needed to participate. Period. Nothing against him; I don't know the guy. But we as black people have to set new standards on how we function. Crashing someone's event is not the route to a better way. And he was not the only author who just showed up and tried to be a part of the event. They [the other authors] were discharged from the event, too, and with much less the drama he tried to create."

Taylor Nix is a writer and photographer for the Urban Book Source. Questions, comments and concerns can be sent to: taylor@urbanbooksource.com

Comments page 5 of 8:

Click Here to Add a Comment

Your Name:


Image verification:



Message:

 

Questioning :

Posted 738 days ago

Does the UBS not have something better to write about?

T. W. :

Posted 738 days ago

Cola: I couldn't have agreed with you more. I will never understand why ANYONE on this board would ever condone Relentless' behavior or try to make any sense out of it. Don't start no mess and you wouldn't have to worry about how others is going to handle your poor actions! Assumptions are ALWAYS the downfall for people!

Cola :

Posted 739 days ago

When you know better you do better. It's obvious that Relentless doesn't know better. And based on some of these comments condoning his behavior, many others don't either. Wrong is wrong is wrong.

T. W. :

Posted 739 days ago

The Joint: I do have one question for you. Do you feel that JUST because Relentless is so successful and all that he couldn't have possibly been wrong in this incident? That's what it sounds like you're saying. Vickie Stringer of Triple Crown Publications is now saying that she's going back to edit all of the books in TCP( announced at NBCC) in 2009...she now see that she was WRONG for releasing books that shouldn't have been released in the first place without proper editing. I think she's very much at the top of her game! So if she can admit that, I think that Relentless can admit his wrongs as well! No one's perfect and he was WRONG as the day is long in this instance.

T. W. :

Posted 739 days ago

The Joint: And you're not going to convince me that dropping by meant that you bring your equipment with you either! If Relentless had any intentions to set up shop...at least he could have made that clear and asked Curtis about that. Everyone keep on saying that Curtis was acting like a punk by not taking care of Relentless himself, but why would he leave in the middle of an event...which mind you, he was the Master of Ceremony to take care of the incident? What kind of sense does that make? I don't mind someone hustling...but to set up shop was VERY disrespectful and I don't care what anyone on this board says. It seems to me that people have forgotten how to be RESPECTFUL and know when they've crossed the line. Regardless if Relentless thought he was told that it was okay to do what he did, he could have made his intentions clear and maybe the incident wouldn't have occured. But to say that he thought that setting up shop was what he THOUGHT Curtis meant instead of just asking him while he was in his face was just wrong. Why would Curtis ask him if he was planning to set up shop? No the error was on Relentless and maybe that will teach him and others to stop disrespecting people just to get their books out there! Pay for the registration just like the rest of us there! We paid to be there and he and other authors like him did not! JUST DO THE RIGHT THING! Actions will always have a reaction in tow. Relentless was escorted out..case closed! It doesn't matter if it was wrong or right. He should have asked for permission and not assumed that he had the right to be there!

Self Published :

Posted 740 days ago

You gotta go where you're appreciated, Relentless. Like the lady says, the woman made a punk move. They don't want us there. That's for them. And now we all know the worst that can happen. Dang, I wonder who they'd call if an attendee sneezed too loud?! GO RELENTLESS!

Joe Simpson - Bronx :

Posted 741 days ago

I actully like relentlss videos. I read a few of his books and can't wait for the movies from his deals. Im thinkin that (like ABC says) tht he IS the Kanye West of the urban book game. And Kanye makes his lil errors of jusdgement. He even says that about himself in the music. So, relentless, now you gotta put down another of those raps you do. Air that chik out that called the man on ya! Air them out good. And keep up ya' youtube grind. It's betta than TV.

Jamia Cohen :

Posted 741 days ago

Im sorry that he had to go down like this. I have seen Relentless in the street hustling his books and I guess it was just second nature to him. Buty maybe this is a lesson for relentless, he gets on interviews and youtube and brags on himself and I guess karma came back on him for being so arrogant and whack at times. i wish both parties good luck.

I was there too! :

Posted 741 days ago

Relentless, you alright with me. Just be more clarivoyant next time and know ur militations. know there's always snakes, even where the grass is greener.

vs :

Posted 741 days ago

WHY didn't the event organizers take the high road and speak to Relentless directly (even through an associate?). What were they afraid of? Apparently, his huslte was a bit much-Powerpoint-LOL. I gotta get my book game up. I'm happy to contribute to this conversation. It's important-really. I feel the separation already between the haves and havenot, the boogie and the hood, the vendors and the wannabe vendors. The whole thing is I'm sayin: SO WHAT! I commend everyone; the event people for puttin the event on, and RA for being superman (apparently) wherever he goes. Thing is, RA, superman can't fly everywhere! Low ceilings, etc.

portly reader :

Posted 741 days ago

yall should stop hating on relentless aaron. the bunn family was punks for not steppin up. they was doin wut boogi peeps do- turn they nose and they bak. F-da NBCC. if it was me makin mistake or bein extra, i wish they wood throw me out aft they say its okay?

The Joint :

Posted 741 days ago

@ TW - I dont think you can convince me that Relentless (with all his success and all his good deeds) went out of his way intentionally to diss this event (or you). If he says he dropped by & got trapped by the spoils surrounding him, I'd have to believe him. I don't see him goin out of his way to ruin his integrity or sombdy elses. if there was a misstep or if he errord and overstep, id giv u that. But nothin like the deamon that others in the posts are makin him to be. They just hatin cause they don't get they grind on like Relentless do. (not talkin about this event-in general) Misjudgement, yes. Straight up disrespec - NO!

<87654321>